Oil-cracking apparatus



W. B. POOLE.

OIL CRACKING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 05c. 28, 19KB.

Patented May 18, 1920.

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OIL CRACKING APPARATUS. APPLICATION mzo DEC.28, 191s.

Patented May 18, 1920.

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OIL CRACKING APPARATUS.

Patented May 18, 1920.

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UNITED STATE OIL-CRACKING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1920.

Application filed December28, 1918. Serial No. 268,631.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD B. Poona, a citizen of the United States, residing at Okmulgee, in the county of Okmulgee and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil-Cracking Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention comprehends generally improvements in that class of inventions known as combined cracking and stilling apparatuses, and more partlcularly to an apparatus especially designed for the treatment of low gravity oils.

The invention has for its primary object to provide an apparatus of the'character described especially designedto handle slops and waste around oil refineries and manufacture these wastes into commercial products, desirably gasolene, and also characters of crude oils.

It is an additional and equally important objectof this invention to provide an apparatus of this character, wherein upright or vertical cracking stills having perpendicular inlet and outlet tubes are employed, in contra distinction to those apparatuses employing horizontal stills, for breaking up the molecules of the heavy oil into lighter molecules or gasolene, thereby increasing the amount of gasolene procured from an original charge 15 per cent. of the original charge over the approximate 25 per cent. as secured from an original charge of gas oil in the horizontal apparatuses now in use.

The invention also embraces the provision of anapparatus of the character described, wherein the heat for the still or stills and the upper combined inlet and outlet tubes are carried or maintained at different temperatures, preferably the tubes being maintained at higher temperatures than the stills or separators, the temperature for the still being suflicient to crack the charge to produce the vapor and to hold such vapor at the proper temperature while the tube or tubes is carried at a higher temperature to insure of the cracking. of molecules into lighter molecules which form gasolene, and allowing it to pass or exit therethrough.

It is a more specific object of thisinvention to provide an apparatus of the characterdescr'ibed wherein the means for eflectmg the cracking of oil is of improved con- *the construction simple, the

struction, the component parts being so arranged that the heat which acts on the stills or separators and tubes may be readily maintained at the propertemperatures.

Among the other aims and objects of this invention may be recited the provision of an apparatus of the character described wherein the number of parts is comparatively few,

cost of production low and the efficiency high.

he improvements in the details and arrangement of parts will be apparent from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, in conjunction with the specific description hereinafter contained, and wherein the preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed for the purpose of imparting a full understanding of the invention.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the apparatus,

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, a part of the apparatus being broken away,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on line 44 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear elevational view looking toward one of the fire boxes for the adjacent still.

Fig. 6 is'a fragmentary vertical seet ional view through the inlet end of the intake 1 e. i p imilar characters of reference are employed in all of the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now, more particularly, to the accompanying drawings, there is provided a substantially rectangular shaped supporting structure generally designated by the numeral, 1 and formed preferably from concrete or brick or any suitable material as desired. The lower portion of one side wall is cut away as at 2 while formed within the lower portion of the structure near the opposite side wall is a longitudinal series of fire boxes 3, the side walls 4 being formed with an opening 5 to accommodate a burner 6 which is disposed within the fire box while also leading from the rear edge of the fire box or furnace is a passageway 7 which communicates with a cylindrical heat chamber 8, the walls 9 of which are joined with the adjacent side faces of the vertical and transversely disposed partitions 10 positioned at the open ortion of the side wall which is cutaway. ormed within the structure 1 and leading from the top of each of the heat chambers 8 is a flue 11. for the purpose of exhausting the heat from-the fire box or furnace as well as the chamber 8, as is a parent.

Forme in the upper portion of the structure 1 are spaced longitudinally extending and transversely disposed horizontal part tions 12 and 13, while also formed in this structure and positioned between the side walls are the vertically disposed longitudinal partitions 15 and 16. The partitions 12 and 13 and 15 and 16 coact with the side walls of the structure in the top thereof in roviding longitudinally disposed spaced eat chambers 17 for a pur ose which will hereinafter be described. rovided at one end of each chamber 17 is a fire box or furnace 18, the end wall adjacent to the fire box being provided with a passageway or opening 19 for accommodating a burner pipe, the burner 20 of which is disposed within the adjacent firebox. The wall is also provided above the passage way 19 with a peep opening 21. The opposite end of each chamber or passage way 17 has leading therefrom a vertically disposed exhaust flue 22. As noted upon reference to the drawings, it is preferred that the firebox 18 of each of the longitudinally and transversely alining passage ways 17 be positioned in opposing relation with each other. The structure is also provided with a plurality of firemen latforms 23 positioned near each of the fl reboxes or furnaces 18 and these platforms may be effectively and rigidly supported relative to the structure by braces 24. The partitions 15 and 16 are provided on their opposing faces with vertically disposed recesses 25, therecesses bein arranged in uniformly spaced relation with respect to each other whilethe recesses in the two partitions are vertically alined with each other but at the same time the recesses which aline with each other are formed on opposing faces of the two partitions, the arrangement being clearly indicatedin Fig. 1 and in Fi 5. Sand 4 for a urpose that will resent y ap ear. Also ormed in the partitions 12 an 13 and in the tops are alining openings 26 which register with the alinmg recesses 25.

It is preferred that the bottoms of the furnaces or fire boxes 18 and the heat chambers 17 be fitted'with vitrified brick 27 while the lowermost partition 12 is desirably embraced by the transversely disposed beams 28 which rest on the partitions 10.

Coacting with the heating chambers 8 are the vertically disposed cylindrical stills or separators 29, the upper and lower portions of each of which are respectively disposed through the alining openings 30 in the top and bottom of each chamber 8. The bottom 31 of each still or separator is detachably connected in position, preferably being formed with an annular flange 32 whici abuts the annular flange 33 on the lower edge of the body of said, still or separator, the flan es being held in contacting relation by olts 34 while leading centrally and depending from each bottom is a branch outlet tube 35 through which residue passes and empties into the main sludge line pipe or tube 36 with which the branches 35 communicate. A manually operable valve 37 is arranged in each branch below the bottom 31 to control the passage of sludge or residue from the stills, as is apparent. The top of each still or separator is formed with a short pipe 38 which communicates therewith and which in turnis formed with annular flanges 39 to facilitate disconnecting.

Connecting with the heat chambers 17 of the furnaces 18 are the vertically disposed inlet and outlet tubes 40 and 41 respectively, said tubes being disposed through the registering openings 26 through the registering recesses 25 and have their lower flanged ends 42 disposed upon the flanged portions 39 of the adjacent collars and detachably connected as by suitable fastening devices such as an ordinary flanged union 43. Each outlet tube 41 has an elbow 44 extending from the upper end of the vertical portion while continuing from the outer end of the elbow is a vertically arranged depending pipe 45 which has its terminal portion 46 directed to a point remote from the structure and is fitted with a manually operable release valve 47 to control the assage of vapor therethrough the pipe eing the outlet for the vapors. A pressure gage 48 is also fitted in each pipe 45. Each inlet pipe 40 is formed at its upper end at a point slightly above the top 0 the structure 1 with an annular exterior flange 49 while detachably connected thereto is a disk-l1ke cover 50 which is fitted with a pipe connection 51 used as a charge line to tube 40 which may be charged constantly or intermittently either under ressure or without the same. It is preferre that suitable fastening means such as an ordinary flanged union 52 be employed for detachably holding the disk-like cover in position.

The operation of the apparatus for effect? in the treating of oils may be recited as f0 lows:

Assuming that the parts have been assembled in the manner described and as shown in the drawings, the supply of oil which may consist of heavy crudes or of slops and waste around oil refineries, is passed through pipe 51, either under pressure or without same, and if pressure is used, preferably 100 pounds, into tube 40 thence to still 29 disposed beneath the end of the said tube, the valve 37 and the outlet pipes 35 being closed. Prior to the ad mission of the oil the burners 6 in the fireboxes 3 are started so that heat will pass through the passageway 7 into the heat chamber 8 to act against the exteriorof the stills or separators 29 containing the charges, the heat being maintained at a sufficient temperature, preferably 700 degrees Fahrenheit to cause a cracking of the charges, that is, a breaking of the molecules of the heavy oils into lighter molecules or a'vapor which constitutes the gasolene. This vapor of course rises through the adjacent and communicating outlet tubes 41 and is acted upon by the heat in the chamber 17 produced by the burners in the fireboxes 18 which are lighted at the time the burners 3 are lighted. It is preferred that the vapors or lighter molecules which rise through the outlet tubes 41 be maintained at a temperature higher than the temperatures in the chambers 8 preferably approximately atl400 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain the vapors at their proper temperature so that they will exit through. the tube 41, the flow or passage of the vapor being controlled by the release valve 47. Although not shown, it is preferred that the outlets or outer portions of the outlet tubes be arranged in communication with a condenser or the like for the condensing of the vapors. The provision of a pressure gage 48 permits of the attendant to determine the proper time to operate the release valve 47. The exhaust heat from the chambers 8 and 17 of course passes respectively through the lines 11 and 22. If desired, a suitable pyrometer 53 may be provided in the wall of each of the chambers 8 to project into the adjacent still or separator 29 so that the attendant can determine whether the heat is suflicient to cause an effective cracking or breaking up of the charges in the stills or separators 29.

The salient feature of the invention hereinbefore described resides in the arrangement of the separators or stills 29 and also the tubes 40 and 41 in the apparatus, the stills or separators 29 being surrounded by heat zones throughout the sides of the same for the major portions of their longitudinal extent, while the bottom portions of these stills or separators are below the heat zones constituted by the chambers 8 for the purpdse of confining the heavier oils therein and for trapping carbon to prevent the accumulation of such carbon upon the sides of the stills or separators as is usual in ordinary stills or separators, either vertically or horizontally disposed and heated only at the bottoms thereof.

The intake tubes 40 are located within the heat zones so that the supply of oil admitted thereto is preheated for partial vaporizing thereof prior to the admission of the same into the stills or separators 29 and these tubes through the medium of the heat zones are maintained at a higher temperature than the temperature of the stills or separators, whereby the greater initial breaking up of the oil occurs before the same is delivered to the stills or separators, while the said stills or separators 29 will act to expand the vapors and the heavier oil settling with the carbon in the bottoms thereof. Thereafter the vapors are conveyed through the outlet tubes i l which are surrounded by heat zones, the temperatures thereof being the same or approximately to the temperatures of the heat zones surrounding the tubes 40 for the purpose of finally completely breaking up the vapors or assuring of the expansion of the remaining carbon. and to heat the vapor prepared for conversion into gasolene,

In actual practice it has been found that by the employment of the vertical stiils and tubes the amount of gasolene secured from oils or waste is fifteen per cent. over the approximate twentv-five per cent. secured from an original charge in a horizontal still process now in use. 7

many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. it is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. An apparatus of the character described. having superposed separated heat chambers with heating means independent of each other, a still located within the lowermost heat chamber and spaced from its walls for the circulation of heating gases in said chamber about the major portion of said still, an inlet tube extended through the remaining upper chambers and connected with the upper portion of the still. and an outlet tube extending through said remaining upper chambers and connected with the still.

2. The combination with a still and intake and outlet tubes communicating therewith, of a supporting structure forming superposed separated heat chambers independent of each other and about the still and tubes,

separate and independent heating means forsection on said portion of the still outside of the heat chamber therefor.

3. The combination with a still and intake and outlet tubes communicating therewith,

of a supporting structure forming su erposed separated heat chambers inde 11 cut of each other and about the still an tubes, separate and independent heatin means for the respective chambers said stil mainly being disposed in one-of the heat chambers with a portion of the still located outside of said chamber, a removable bottom section on said portion of-the still outside of the heat chamber therefor, and means connected with said removable section for drawing ofi residuum from the still.

4. The combination of a supporting struc ture having superposed separated and independent heat chambers, a plurality of stills ocated mainly within the lowermost heat chambers, pairs of inlet and outlet tubes extendin vertically through the remaining upper heat chambers and connected with the cutaway portion of the structure, a still ar ranged vertically within the-heat chamber, a sludge conducting tube leadi from the bottom of the still, inlet and outlet tubes risin from the top of the still and through 1 whic vapor or gasolene may be passed when the heat in the chamber is at a sufficient temperature, a second furnace above the first and a third heating chamber arranged abovethe said second furnace and about the inlet- WILLARD B. POOLE. 

